Method of facilitating mitigation of cosmetic imperfections associated with fingerprint impressions on anodized materials and anodized materials treated for providing same

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods specifically tailored for facilitating the mitigation of cosmetic impressions associated with fingerprint impressions on surface(s) of articles of manufacture made from anodized substrates. To this end, such methods provide for removal of fingerprints by enzymatically functionalizing the surface(s) of the article of manufacture (e.g., a cosmetic coating thereof) to generate an enzymatically active surface and activating such enzymatically functionalized surface(s) to promote such fingerprint removal. Thus methods and articles of manufacture made in accordance with such methods provide improved end-use utility and functionality of many products for consumer electronic applications, automotive applications, building materials applications, and the like.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of facilitating mitigation of cosmetic imperfections on a surface of an anodized substrate resulting from fingerprint impressions thereon, comprising:
 providing an anodized substrate comprising a layer of metal oxide, wherein the layer of metal oxide has pores therein; 
 treating a surface of the layer of metal oxide of the anodized substrate with a composition comprising a lipase to form a lipase-functionalized surface of the anodized substrate; and 
 applying a liquid activation composition over at least a portion of the lipase-functionalized surface that is subject to having fingerprint impressions deposited thereon, wherein the liquid activation composition comprises constituent components capable causing a soap composition to be formed on the lipase-functionalized surface in response to at least one of said constituent components being enzymatically degraded by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the layer of metal oxide of the anodized substrate has a layer of color-coating composition provided thereon; and 
 said treating the layer of metal oxide includes applying the lipase-comprising composition over the layer of color-coating composition. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein said constituent components of the liquid activation composition capable of causing said soap formation comprises:
 at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface to form free fatty acids; and 
 metal ions of at least one type of metal. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface is a triglyceride. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  wherein said metal ions of at least one type of metal comprises metal ions from at least one of sodium and potassium. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein
 said constituent components of the liquid activation composition capable of causing said soap formation comprises at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface to form free fatty acids and metal ions of at least one type of metal; 
 the at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface is a triglyceride; and 
 the lipase is a triacylglycerol lipase. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an approximate pH level at which a target activity level of the lipase of said lipase-comprising composition is obtained; and 
 formulating the liquid activation composition to have a pH level about the same as the approximate pH level corresponding to the target activity level of the lipase. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein formulating the liquid activation composition comprises mixing an aqueous buffer solution comprising water and a sodium buffer with a triglyceride. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 at least a portion of said pores of the layer of metal oxide are exposed at the surface thereof; and 
 treating the surface of the layer of metal oxide includes causing surfaces defining an interior portion of at least some of said pores of the layer of metal oxide to become at least partially covered with the composition comprising the lipase. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein said constituent components of the liquid activation composition capable of causing said soap formation comprises:
 at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface to form free fatty acids; and 
 metal ions of at least one type of metal. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 at least a portion of said pores of the layer of metal oxide are exposed at the surface thereof; 
 treating the surface of the layer of metal oxide includes causing surfaces defining an interior portion of at least some of said pores of the layer of metal oxide to become at least partially covered with the composition comprising the lipase; 
 at least a portion of said pores of the layer of metal oxide are exposed at the lipase-functionalized surface after treating the surface of the layer of metal oxide of the anodized substrate with the composition comprising the lipase; and 
 applying the liquid activation composition over at least a portion of the lipase-functionalized surface includes causing a layer of the liquid activation composition to be formed over the pores of the layer of metal oxide exposed at the lipase-functionalized surface. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein said constituent components of the liquid activation composition capable of causing said soap formation comprises:
 at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface to form free fatty acids; and 
 metal ions of at least one type of metal. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining an approximate pH level at which a target activity level of the lipase of said lipase-comprising composition is obtained; and 
 formulating the liquid activation composition to have a pH level about the same as the approximate pH level corresponding to the target activity level of the lipase. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  wherein formulating the liquid activation composition comprises mixing an aqueous buffer solution comprising water and a sodium buffer with a triglyceride. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 at least a portion of said pores of the layer of metal oxide are exposed at the lipase-functionalized surface after treating the surface of the layer of metal oxide of the anodized substrate with the composition comprising the lipase; and 
 applying the liquid activation composition over at least a portion of the lipase-functionalized surface includes causing a layer of the liquid activation composition to be formed over the pores of the layer of metal oxide exposed at the lipase-functionalized surface. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein said constituent components of the liquid activation composition capable of causing said soap formation comprises:
 at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface to form free fatty acids; and 
 metal ions of at least one type of metal. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 treating the surface of the layer of metal oxide of the anodized substrate with a composition comprising a lipase comprises treating the surface of the layer of metal oxide of the anodized substrate with a triacylglycerol lipase; and 
 applying the liquid activation composition over at least a portion of the lipase-functionalized surface comprises applying a buffered oil over at least a portion of the lipase-functionalized surface. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining an approximate pH level at which a target activity level of the lipase of said lipase-comprising composition is obtained; and 
 formulating the buffered oil to have a pH level about the same as the approximate pH level corresponding to the target activity level of the lipase. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein formulating the buffered oil comprises mixing an aqueous buffer solution comprising water and a sodium buffer with a triglyceride. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18  wherein the buffered oil comprises:
 at least one material compositions enzymatically degradable by the lipase of the lipase-functionalized surface to form free fatty acids; and 
 metal ions of at least one type of metal.